Texas Turned Me Into An African-American Female

I am almost 100% certain that I've mentioned previously that when I got my first Texas driver's license that the State of Texas turned me into a female.

I was quite a few months into my Texas exile when I finally got around to getting a Texas driver's license. Well, more than a few months, more like a year.

I arrived in Texas about a week before Christmas, a year later I had to make a winter return to Washington, via car. I was getting ready to go roller blading at Bear Creek Park in Keller when I opened the envelope containing my new driver's license. I looked at it, all seemed fine, til I saw the part that said SEX: F.

At first I feared this meant I'd failed sex, some obscure part of the bizarre Texas driving test that I'd not made note of. But then it was fairly obvious to me that whoever filled out my info took a look at me and mistook my girly looks for being a girl. And labeled me an "F".

This would have been no big deal, except for the fact I was taking off in the morning on a roadtrip to Washington. This new driver's license could make a cop stop interesting. But, since I really do not get stopped very often, I was not too concerned.

I would have been a tad more concerned had I known what I was to learn upon my return, when I went to the Texas driver's license place to straighten out the mess. There the license lady looked up my record and asked me to lean forward so she could whisper, "it says here you are African-American, you aren't are you?"

I was fairly certain I was not African-American, so I said no. I did not know that they put "extra" info on your record that does not show up on your license. For all I know I am still African-American on my Texas license record. This could possibly explain the Fort Worth cop's surly attitude when he gave me a ticket (thrown out) for driving without wearing a seatbelt.

The nice Texas driver's license lady let me keep the driver's license that gave me a sex change, after she snipped off a corner. I don't know why she had to do that.

I managed to drive to Washington, and back, without a cop incident where I had to explain why I was acting like a male when my license clearly indicates I'm a female.

In Washington I got a big party benefit due to my Texas license giving me girl cred. I was staying at my sister's in Kent. She was having an all-girl Christmas Party. With 30 or 40 girls. I was allowed to stay for the party if I acted as the greeter, showing my Texas driver's license to prove my bonafides as a legit attendee at an all-girl party.

It was a fun party. I think some of those girls were confused and were acting real nice to me because they felt sorry for me for being such a homely girl with an unfortunately ungirly sounding voice.

Checking On The Huffines Bulldozers At Arlington's River Legacy Park While Walking With The Queen Of Wink

I went swimming early this morning in what feels like my outdoor bathtub. By 11 I was in the mood to be bi-pedal, so I took off to the Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

When I got to VCNHA I saw the gate closed. Village Creek had gone into flood mode, apparently. Was it from that short storm on Friday? Or was there another storm last night? I wondered, this morning, if I slept through a storm, because I had to navigate puddles of water on my way to the pool.

With Village Creek not available I headed to Arlington's River Legacy Park. I'd not been there since a couple months ago when I hiked the mountain bike trail. Today I decided to walk east, crossing the Trinity River and going under Collins Road to see the current state of the Huffines Development.

To my great shock, with no public hearings on the matter, a huge swath of what had been fairly wild land bordering the paved River Legacy Trail had been assaulted by Huffines bulldozers. Bulldozing to make islands, lakes and plots of land for buildings. What had been scenic was turned ugly. What should have been a park, was ruined.

Well. All bulldozing on the Huffines project has ceased. The project appears to have been long abandoned. A long time ago now, I blogged about how the Huffines project had blocked off the last mile of the River Legacy trail, due to the building of a pipeline. Well the "Trail Closed Between Mile 6 & 7" sign is now down.

Mother Nature has covered up the Huffines scars. The only ugliness that remains is the chain link fence that was put up before the bulldozing began.

As I walked away from the Huffines debacle my phone rang. I can not see who is calling when I'm out in the bright sun. So, I answer with "I'm in the bright sun and can not see who is calling. Please identify yourself." I heard laughing and recognized the Queen of Wink's royal giggle.

The Queen talked to me the 3 miles back to my vehicle. Where I sat on a picnic table and continued the royal conversation. I must say I have not laughed so much since I don't know when.

The Queen of Wink's tale of her recent Vegas Adventure with the Girls, was, well, funny stuff.

If the Queen of Wink is reading this, I did not hang up, my phone made its annoying bloop bloop noise and disconnected. I figured I'd done enough laughing and it was time to head to my next destination.

In Texas Early Sunday Morning Thinking About Not Going To A Wedding In Washington

As you can see, sitting out on the patio with me, drinking coffee, on this, the second Sunday of August, the sun is lighting up the place with nary a cloud in the clear blue sky.

It is 81 out there, heading, again, to a predicted high of 101. I don't know if we got past the century mark yesterday, but the forecast is that we will for the next 7 days.

Today, up in Washington, Betty Jo Bouvier, the Wild Woman of Woolley, becomes a mother-in-law for the first time.

Of course I am shocked, shocked I tell you, that I was not invited to these nuptials. Had I been there is nothing, nothing I tell you, that could have stopped me from heading north. Few things I like better than attending a wedding.

I think I'll go swimming in the overly warm pool now and figure out what I'm going to do today instead of going to a Washington wedding.

Cowboy Durango On His Horse In Texas

I am finding all sorts of pictures today that I'd forgotten existed.

Like this one with me on a horse, at my first location in Texas, in this hamlet in far north Fort Worth, called Haslet. The mail box was in Fort Worth, the house was in Haslet.

There were 3 horses available for riding that lived on the ranch. I had no idea, til living with horses, that they were way more high maintenance than any human I've known. And I've known some extremely high maintenance humans.

Like the one who owned the horses.

My last time on a horse was July 4 of 2000. It did not go well. Short version is a carrot was left in the barn. The horse wanted that carrot. No amount of direction, from me, could stop that horse from heading back to that carrot. Eventually this turned scary with the horse trying to enter the barn via a side entry that really had no room for my legs.

Blessings of flexibility, acquired from years of yoga, I was able to contort myself into a position that did not cause my legs to get ripped off.

I have not been on a horse since. Nor will I ever again. I have never understood why riding a horse is something anyone would want to do after mechanical means of transport were invented.

Gar The Texan Ex In Booger Reds Saloon Drinking Buffalo Butt Beer

I've been inadvertently going down memory lane the last hour, or two, looking at all the photos I've got stuck on this computer.

It started with a successful search for a Red, White and Blue Bikini Float at Tombstone Arizona's Helldorado Days Parade and ended with Gar the Texan sitting on a saddle in Booger Reds Saloon, in the Fort Worth Stockyards, drinking Buffalo Butt beer while Gar's now ex-wife sits next to him chain smoking between her Buffalo Butts.

I sort of understood Gar the Texan's attraction to the now ex-wife, what with that shapely figure she sports, but I had a lot of trouble getting past the chain smoking.

You can likely tell by looking at her in the picture, but if you can't, I'll tell you, Gar's ex is a German girl. He found her somewhere in the Fatherland, barely able to speak a word of English, but longing to come to America to be the wife of a wealthy, handsome American man.

Eventually she settled for Gar the Texan.

I do not know if Gar the Texan's ex is being sent back to the Fatherland, or what. I try not to pry.

Overheating HOT Hill Hiking In Texas Thinking About Taking An Ice Bath

A new forest of a strange looking plants has sprouted up on the Tandy Hills.

I suspect Don Young may have identified this strange looking plant in his most recent Prairie Notes, but at the time I read it I had not seen the plant in person, and so remembering its name did not register.

It was barely 90 when I hit the hills hiking today.

90 and very humid.

Last summer I had absolutely no problem with hitting the hills hiking when it was over 100.

This summer I am having a little trouble with hitting the hills hiking when it is HOT. I think the difference is this is being a very humid summer in Texas. Very humid.

Today I added to the humidity by leaking 5 bottles of water.

To cool down, after the HOT hill hiking, I went to Town Talk to stand in their walk-in cooler. It was refreshing. Way more refreshing than my swimming pool is being. The day after day after day of being over 100 has heated the water to lukewarm.

Even cold showers are no longer cold, with the HOT ground heating the waterpipes and the water flowing inside. By the time it makes it out of my showerhead the water feels like some hot water has been mixed in, when it hasn't.

I've heard ice baths are refreshing. I'm not sure how that works. Fill the tub with water and throw in some ice cubes?

The Continuing Mystery Of The Grotto At Lovers Retreat

On Wednesday I blogged about the Mystery of the Grottos at Lovers Retreat in Mineral Wells.

With the mystery being where is this intriguing looking grotto and does it still exist or is it under the water of Mineral Wells Lake?

Yesterday the mystery was at least partially solved by my newest Facebook Friend, Sherry B.

Sherry B commented the following...

"How interesting! I was looking for it too. I live in Weatherford and run a website about all the attractions & events in Parker & Palo Pinto, so this is something I've wanted to find. I did some research today and turns out; the location is 4 miles outside of the town of Palo Pinto. It is now private and is no longer accessible to visitors. The main clue to the exact location says that the property is located just to the North of where the highway crosses Eagle Creek. Too bad it's not public anymore. I would LOVE to explore it!"

Sherry B pointed me towards several interesting photos of the Grotto at Lovers Retreat. One is a current day look at the scene in the above old postcard.

Another of the Sherry B photos is another old postcard of Lovers Retreat.

On the postcard it says, "New Suspension Bridge at Lover's Retreat near Mineral Wells, Texas. The South's Greatest Health Resort."

Note the use of an apostrophe before the 's' in Lovers. In the previous blogging about Lovers Retreat we learned that one of the versions of the reason for the name was it was named after a guy, last name of Lovers, with no apostrophe needed before the 's', but with one maybe needed after the 's'. Maybe Lovers Retreat is like Devils Tower and Pikes Peak, where the apostrophe indicating a possessive noun is discarded. The apostrophe controversy just adds to the mystery.

The other apostrophe version has the grotto named after a pair of Indian lovers, which would make the name Lover's Retreat.

The final picture is the modern day look at the now old New Suspension Bridge. If this used to be the South's Greatest Health Resort, why is it not accessible to today's public who want to be healthy?

I think Sherry B and I should sneak on to this private property and check out the Grotto at Lovers Retreat. If anyone sees us we can hide in one of the caves. That works out well about half the time.

Up With The Sun August 7 Dried Out From Friday's Storm

I got up about the same time the sun did this morning.

We appear to have dried out from Friday's early evening rather violent surprise storm.

We also have chilled down a bit. Several mornings in a row have started out already in the 80s. This morning it is only 78, but very very humid, thanks to all that wet stuff that came crashing down yesterday.

Today, Sunday and Monday the prediction is for a 20% chance of showers, the same prediction that brought a violent thunderstorm yesterday that knocked out the electricity for a brief moment of no air conditioning unpleasantness.

I feel the need to excessively over aerobicize myself today. I think I will start that plan in a few minutes by going swimming.

See you later today on the Tandy Hills. Maybe.

A Surprise Friday Late Afternoon Thunderstorm Blows Into East Fort Worth & Gets Me Wet

You can not tell it from the picture of my patio view. But the 6 o'clock in the early Friday evening view is stormy. The forecast was for a 20% chance of rain today. I figured we'd likely stay dry.

But, about 20 minutes ago I thought I was hearing thunder booming in the distance. But the sky did not look menacing.

And then the booming got louder, the wind got windier and suddenly drops of wetness were hitting my window.

So, I grabbed my camera and headed out to the patio. And quickly snapped a picture whilst trying to keep the camera dry. Then I stuck the camera safely undercover and returned to the patio to stand in the rains.

It was a nice, cool, unexpected shower. At 102 degrees.

The loud booms continue. I hope I don't have a repeat of yesterday evening's short power outage.

UPDATE: I barely hit the publish button and all hell broke loose. Really strong wind, tree branches snapping, lightning striking close. hail, heavy rain.

I went to take a picture, which is the one you're looking at.

And then the power went out, just like I mentioned I feared that it would. But it was only out for a couple minutes.

I love a good storm. But I was not prepared for this one. I had all my artificial plants out on the patio for a natural dusting. Two of them flew away. I may be able to rescue them when we dry out. If we dry out.

At Green Fosdic Lake Thinking About Making Turtle Soup & Talking To My Sister

You are looking at a turtle herd enjoying basking in the 100 degree plus sun on the beautifully green Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park, today around noon.

It is not a good idea to eat fish you catch in Fosdic Lake. I don't know why anyone would want to eat fish they caught in a green lake.

Or make turtle soup out of turtles caught in a green lake. I only make turtle soup out of turtles I catch in really clear, clean water.

I called my mom and dad as I was on my way to Fosdic Lake to wish them a Happy Anniversary. But, I got the answering machine with my dad's poetic message, "We are not home to answer the phone, please leave a message after the tone."

I then called my sister in the Phoenix zone who lives near my mom and dad. I had not heard anything in the past week about my nephew Jeremy's heart condition.

Well, my sister answered her phone. She told me mom and dad had gone down to the south part of Arizona, I guess because it was not hot enough for them in the Valley of the Sun. They'd gone as far as Bisbee and then stayed in Wilcox overnight.

Jeremy has had no more heart out of control incidents. They return to the cardiologist on August 11 to find out the test results.

It was nice to hear Jeremy's heart is not acting up, and other good news about my siblings, well good news about 50% of my siblings.